I had a chance to get a good view of the pig, before (photos), during and after cooking (live). The smoking took about seven hours, and by all accounts, it was worth the wait. The meat was tender, juicy, flavorful. After butchering the whole hog, Bubba added some Lockhart’s sausage to the mix, along with some mojo marinated pork loin. Large sections were cut off periodically, sliced to order, and finished off with a homemade BBQ Sauce, which Bubba created with Right Brain Chipotle Fire Starter Porter.

About the beer—Mangalitsa porter is brewed with real pig parts (heads and bones). I was curious, and glad I gave it a try. This is a rich porter, great mouthfeel, and creamy smokiness, weighing in at 6.6% ABV. Next up I tried the Right Brain Black EYE PA – a fine craft beer with notes of roast, chocolate, big hops and some citrus. Slightly bitter on the finish, it went well with the porchetta.

Lockhart’s takes pride in doing BBQ the right way, low and slow, a good dry rub, and four sauce options are up to you once it’s placed on the table. I’ve had their ribs, brisket, burnt ends, house smoke sausage, and pulled pork, in addition to some great sides (original review linked below). Never had a bad meal here, and the service is always friendly and attentive. Find Lockhart’s at lockhartsbbq.com, and on Facebook.

The creation of Pig N’ Pint was helped along by Good Pour, a startup promotion company specializing in assisting brew pubs, bars and restaurants with a focus on craft beer. In conversation with founder Dave Cicotte, I learned that he is most interested in creating new events that haven’t necessarily been done before, or at least not in metro Detroit. Look for @GoodPour on Instagram and Twitter.

Lockhart’s BBQ is located at 202 E. Third Street, Royal Oak, MI 48067 248.584.4227